Category Archives: Water and waterways

Oceans, rivers, streams, lakes, bays and inlets. We know you can no longer drink from them, but can you safely swim in them? Pretty, or potty?

Should We Stick Our Heads in the Sand?

Posted on December 28, 2012 by rockviv

We just lived through “the big one.” Hurricane Sandy was a more dangerous and destructive storm than 1962’s Hurricane Donna, and in terms of property damage, it far eclipsed the deadly 1938 Long Island Express, which catapulted a 30-foot-high wave … Continue reading →

Posted in New York City Government, Planet Earth, The Built World, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

We Demanded the Sand–but THIS is Ridiculous!

Posted on November 15, 2012 by rockviv

Rock Viv is back! I survived Hurricane Sandy, which struck the Northeast coast of the United States at about 9 p.m. on Monday, October 29.  I sent a panicked text message to a friend a few minutes later that said: … Continue reading →

Posted in Planet Earth, The Land We Share, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Are You Better Off Than You Were in 1974?

Posted on October 26, 2012 by rockviv

Things have changed a lot in the past eight years. In October, 2004, I stood in front of my class of sixth graders at Channel View School for Research to teach a lesson on the skill of persuasive speaking–the literacy … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Creatures of the Planet (Non-Human), New York City Government, Planet Earth, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thanks to Aunt Abby Ryder

Posted on August 29, 2012 by rockviv

The summer media campaign for my book, Images of America: Rockaway Beach, closes on a high note, thanks to Aunt Abby’s historic bayfront clam chowder house.  Today’s New York Times Dining Section features an article and photo spread, “Where Pirates Can Dock … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Jamaica Bay, The Arts and Entertainment, Water and waterways | 4 Comments

Happy Earth Day, Jamaica Bay!

Posted on April 22, 2012 by rockviv

It’s more than just a body of water or a marsh ecosystem–Jamaica Bay is an integral part of the environment in the Rockaways.  No matter how you enter or leave the peninsula, or spend your days here, you see the … Continue reading →

Posted in New York City Government, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

H2O, Gerrymandering and Socialists in Archie Bunker Land

Posted on September 10, 2011 by rockviv

I’ll never forget the words of the engineer who inspected the Belle Harbor home our family was about to buy, in the spring of 1994. “The number one enemy of your home is water,” he said.  Do everything you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, New York State Government, The Built World, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Paean to Irene

Posted on August 29, 2011 by rockviv

That Hurricane Irene was some bi-polar storm! Carefree teens tubing down the Saw Mill River Parkway on Sunday afternoon contrasted with kayakers in distress pulled from the Hudson River on Saturday night.  The mood of the city swung like a … Continue reading →

Posted in The Built World, The Land We Share, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s Showtime!

Posted on August 25, 2011 by rockviv

Well, we’ve been talking about it and preparing ever since Mayor Bloomberg decided to devote millions of dollars to his plaNYC initiatives in 2007.  An actual serious emergency that could require evacuation of millions from low-lying areas of New York … Continue reading →

Posted in Creatures of the Planet (Non-Human), New York City Government, The Land We Share, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Posted on July 19, 2011 by rockviv

I couldn’t resist featuring the stunning hydrangeas of Rockaway Park in the header photo this week.  These bushes are located in the gardens that surround the apartment building at the north end of Memorial Circle (Rock. Beach Blvd. between Beach … Continue reading →

Posted in Meet Your Fellow Man, Planet Earth, The Arts and Entertainment, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Independence a Fiction in Bloombergville?

Posted on July 4, 2011 by rockviv

Independence Day is one of those American holidays celebrated with disparate emotions among the populace.  Are you part of the investor class or a wage earner?  Wage earners live for the weekends, particularly the three-day ones.  Those of us who … Continue reading →

Posted in Business and Economics, Local Government-Rockaway Peninsula & Broad Channel, New York City Government, Philosophy, Religion and Philanthropy, The Arts and Entertainment, The Land We Share, U.S. Government, Water and waterways | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment